


love me for the hell of it

by alexjulies



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Found Family vibes all over the place, Luke & Julie audition for The Voice, The Voice AU, Who is shocked by this, and fall in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29615457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexjulies/pseuds/alexjulies
Summary: After the death of her mother, Julie pushes through the ache of singing again to audition forThe Voicewith the most supportive hype squad by her side. Ray, Carlos, and Flynn are killing it.And in order to helpSunset Curvegain some traction, Luke auditions, too. Solely for the exposure.(Reggie, don't say exposure.)((Luke's hype squad needs media training.))
Relationships: Background Alex Mercer/Willie, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 44
Kudos: 189





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> written as a valentine's day gift for [lauren](http://luke-pattersons.tumblr.com). as you can see, i am several days late and this sucker still isn't completely finished. it just keeps growing. 
> 
> songs included in this chapter are listed in the notes at the end.
> 
> also, several liberties have been taken with the amount of time between auditions, the way the auditions work, contestants being able to sit in on televised performances, etc. but i'm not here to write a documentary of 'the voice' process, i'm here to write two dorks falling in love and singing at each other (with their noses scrunched).

“You alright, _mija_?”

Julie blinks a few times at the sound of her father’s voice, realizing she’s been lost in thought long enough that they’re no longer outside the arena. They’re inside, they’re nearly to the registration tables, and it makes her stomach roll.

“Just nervous,” she answers softly, trying to keep her voice even. “And, y’know. Missing Mom.”

Her father’s arm wraps around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. “Julie, honey, if you’re not ready - if you’ve changed your mind, or…”

“No,” Julie cuts in, forcing herself to take another step toward the tables. “No, I’m - I can do this. I can do it.”

The woman sitting at the table smiles up at Julie, hand poised over the registration forms. “Hi, there! What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Julie Molina,” she replies, swallowing back the nerves and forcing herself to press into them the way her mother taught her. 

The woman nods, writing Julie’s name at the top of the form. “Alright, honey. Just fill these out and hand them to the next table. From there, it’s a few small, rapidfire auditions, and if you make it through those, you get to come in for callbacks. Good luck and welcome to _The Voice!_ ”

Julie takes the clipboard and smiles, nodding and stepping off to the side with her dad. His eyes crinkle at the corners as he grins down at her - the joy on his features helps to settle her stomach for a moment. “Okay. We’re doing this,” Julie says.

Ray’s smile widens as he shakes his head. _“You’re_ doing this, _mija_. And you’re going to be incredible no matter what.”

As Julie starts filling out the forms, she feels nausea rise in the back of her throat. It disappears when she hears a soft whisper of _I’m here, Julie. Always_.

Her mom’s here. Just like she promised she’d be.

She finishes filling in the forms and turns them in before she can change her mind.

//

“This is so stupid,” Luke mutters, turning around to face Alex, Willie, and Reggie. “This is so ridiculously _stupid_. Why am I here, boys? Honestly.”

“Because,” Alex sighs, squeezing his hands over Luke’s shoulders in a well-practiced maneuver. “Our band is getting _zero_ traction, you have a chip on your shoulder about whether or not you’re good enough because your parents lack musical taste, and you’re conventionally attractive enough to get on this show and at the _very_ least, get us some recognition during your televised audition.”

Reggie nods next to them. “Exactly. All about the exposure, bro.”

“Don’t say exposure,” Alex and Luke say together.

“The clout?” Reggie suggests.

Willie laughs from where he’s standing next to Alex. “Oh, that’s _worse_. Don’t say that, either.”

“Look, we aren’t getting anywhere with the band right now,” Reggie continues, elbowing Willie in the ribs. “It’s a good time for us to take a break, experience working with other people, broaden our horizons, all that shit.”

Luke doesn’t even try to keep the guilt out of his voice when he asks, for the several thousandth time, “And you’re cool with me auditioning as a - a solo thing?”

“Man, yes,” Alex replies, rolling his eyes. “We have told you and _told you_. Out of the three of us, you’ve got the most network-tv friendly voice and, y’know. Girls and guys think you’re hot for some reason. All of that’s gonna help our band get a following for when you come back. Because, _obviously_ , you won’t win.”

“He’s an attractive white boy with a guitar, Alex,” Willie points out. “There’s a very high chance he’ll win.”

“I’m attractive, too,” Reggie huffs. 

Sighing, Alex says, “Yes, Reginald, you’re very pretty. But we’re boosting _Luke’s_ ego right now.”

Looking around at the crowd, Luke sighs, “There’s a _lot_ of people here. Way more than I figured there’d be.”

“Everybody wants superstardom,” Reggie says, smiling when he hears Luke’s noise of disgust. “Which, yeah, you just want the _music_. We get it, dude. But it can’t hurt to just _try_. Plus, if you make it, your parents might see you on television and you can stick your talent right in their faces.”

Luke laughs softly, shaking his head. “Dude, I’m over that.”

Alex and Reggie share a look. Willie’s the one that speaks up and says, “Liar.”

“Okay, but the _main_ reason we’ve asked you to…” Alex says.

Luke cuts in, “ _Forced_ me to.”

“...try this,” Alex continues, completely ignoring Luke, “is that we have bills to pay and Willie and I want to be able to afford a wedding one day, so. Let’s try to make some bank off that handsome face and smooth voice of yours so that Reggie and I don’t have to work in retail forever.”

Luke rolls his eyes with a grin, finally lifting his guitar bag and pulling it over his shoulder. “Alright, okay. I’ll do it. You owe me so big for this.”

Alex and Reggie completely ignore him in favor of acting like proud parents taking prom pictures. 

“Luke, honey, pretend you’re playing your guitar! Oh, that’s _adorable_ ,” Alex sighs. “We’ll have to get these printed in wallet sizes. Everyone will need one.”

Luke turns and walks away from them, laughing despite the way his free hand is raised in a middle finger salute.

//

The waiting, Julie thinks, is the worst part.

She can hear people all around her warming up, practicing - showing off, honestly - but her voice is trapped in her throat. Her dad’s still next to her, and she’s _grateful_ , but she can tell he’s waiting for her to start singing, too. 

“Stop watching me, _papi_ ,” Julie mumbles.

Ray clears his throat, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I could take a walk, if you want. Give you some space for a little bit?”

Julie hears the clear whistle of a soprano carrying across the room and it has her standing from her seat. “Actually, I think I’ll do the walking. Maybe that’ll help.”

Ray nods, smiling up at her. “Okay, honey. I’ll be here. Take as much time as you need.”

She leans down and hugs him, squeezing his shoulders tightly. “Thanks, Dad.”

It isn’t until she’s a few steps away from him that she lets the tears in her eyes spill over onto her cheeks. She pulls her phone from her pocket and dials Flynn’s number, letting out a relieved sigh when Flynn picks up before the second ring.

“I _knew_ I should have come with you today,” Flynn says. “What’s up? What can I do?”

Julie swallows. “Just - tell me I can do this.”

Flynn doesn’t even hesitate. “You were made to share music with the world, Julie. You can do this. Take a breath, drink some water, and knock everyone there on their asses with that voice you’ve got.”

Laughing, Julie replies, “Thank you. I love you.”

“Love you, superstar. I’m coming with you for callbacks when you make them. No arguments.”

//

The main holding room is entirely too loud for Luke to handle, so he finds a quiet stairwell and sits against the wall, humming quietly with his guitar in his lap. His eyes are closed when he hears the door open and the sound of footsteps followed by a soft, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know someone was in here.”

Luke opens his eyes, immediately standing when he sees the tear tracks on the girl’s cheeks. “Hey, no. It’s cool. Just - kinda loud in there. Are you, uh. You okay? Bad audition or something?”

The girl shakes her head, wiping her cheeks dry. “No. No, I haven’t gone yet. I’m just, uh. A little overwhelmed. Trying to convince myself I’m ready for this.”

Luke smirks a bit. “Ready for what, singing for a reality show?”

“Ready to sing, period,” she admits. “It’s been tough since I lost my mom.”

Luke finds himself taking a step closer to her, ducking his head down a bit to meet her eyes. “Shit. Sorry. I’m sorry to hear about your mom. That’s gotta be hard.”

“Yeah,” she nods, sniffling and crossing her arms over her chest. “Music was always our thing, so I’m - I don’t know. Trying to learn how to do it without her.”

Luke feels the sting of her words somewhere deep beneath his ribcage. He opens his mouth to speak again, but she beats him to it with a sheepish little smile and a quick shake of her head.

“I, uh. Sorry. I just wanted somewhere quiet to get my thoughts together. Guess you had the same idea?”

“Yeah,” he replies softly. “I’m Luke, by the way.”

“Julie.”

Luke adjusts his guitar over his shoulders, absently plucking a rhythm from the strings. “So, what’s your song?”

“My song?” she asks, eyes lifting from his hands to meet his gaze. 

“Yeah,” he grins. “Your audition song.”

The left side of her mouth tilts up in a smile and Luke feels the warmth of _victory_ pulse through him. 

“They said to have options, so. One of them is _Heather.”_

Luke nods, pulling his capo from his pocket and fitting it over the fifth fret. “Original key?”

When she doesn’t answer, he glances up and realizes she’s leveling him with an unimpressed stare. It’s scarier than it should be, considering he’s only known her two minutes. 

He tries to pretend he doesn’t enjoy the thrill.

“What?”

She shrugs. “You just happen to know the song, the key it’s in, and you’re oh so _casually_ getting ready to play it. It’s just very - douchey LA musician.”

Smirking, Luke puts his pick between his teeth as he pushes the sleeves of his jacket up over his forearms. “Sorry,” he shrugs, taking his pick and dragging it slowly over the strings of his guitar again. “I _am_ an LA musician.”

Her grin returns. Barely, but it’s there. He thinks it counts.

“I said _douchey_ LA musician.”

“Mm, I heard,” he nods, laughing. “Sing the first couple bars, yeah? Kick those nerves in the ass.”

Julie swallows, her eyes falling to the floor. On instinct, Luke steps forward again, lets the chord hang in the air, and offers her a grin when she meets his eyes.

“C’mon, Julie,” he breathes.

His eyes fall to her lips when she inhales, and then -

“Julie? Are you…? There you are.”

The door to the stairwell opens and Luke takes a step back, the spell between them broken.

“Your group is next, honey,” the man says, squeezing Julie’s shoulder. Luke knows right away this man is her father. The pride in his eyes gives him away. “You ready?”

Julie nods, her jaw locking as she looks back to Luke. “Thanks,” she offers.

“Uh, yeah,” Luke replies, tapping the heel of his hand against the lower bout of his guitar. “Good luck.”

She rushes out the door with her dad, and Luke’s left in silence again. He goes back to playing the song with his eyes closed, humming the melody under his breath.

When he reaches the chorus, he can hear the harmony as clearly in his mind as his own voice. He thinks it sounds like her. 

(He realizes seconds later she never actually sang for him. Wonders why he’s so sure he knows the sound of her voice already.)

//

Julie breezes through the initial auditions, her anxiety lessening and her confidence growing with each _yes_ she receives. When she’s given the final approval and a time slot for the televised callbacks weeks from now, the excitement on her dad’s face is worth every moment of uncertainty.

She spends the drive home making phone calls to every distant relative that Ray can find in his contact list.

_“Papa, we haven’t talked to them in two years, do I…”_

_“Everyone deserves to hear about your accomplishments, mija. Call them! I’ll do the talking.”_

_“You mean you’ll do the_ **_bragging_** _.”_

_“Same thing.”_

It isn’t until she’s home that she wonders if the guy from the stairwell made it through to the callbacks, too. She hears his soft _‘c’mon, Julie’_ in the back of her mind again, like the faintest whisper of a voice she swears she’s known her whole life, and pretends it doesn’t make her heart skip.

“He was too cocky,” she mutters aloud to herself. “Probably didn’t make it past the first round.”

And yet, when she calls Flynn that night to fill her in on the day, she finds herself saying, “So I went to clear my head and met this guy in the stairwell. He was trying to help me sing before my dad interrupted us.”

“Interrupted? What exactly were you two _doing_ , Jules?”

“What? Nothing! He started playing _Heather_ and I was going to sing, but that’s when my dad found us. Found me. Nothing happened.”

“Uh-huh. He was cute, wasn’t he?”

“It’s LA. Everyone’s cute.”

“Could he sing?”

“I don’t know,” Julie answers. “Probably not.”

“Still gonna root for you two, anyway.”

Julie sighs. “You’re so weird.”

“You love me.”

//

When Luke gets home that evening, the boys are waiting for him in the living room with a half-assed handwritten poster held up between them.

_congrats, loser. we told you so._

“Hate you guys,” Luke laughs, shoving Reggie into the other two. “Still gotta get through the _actual_ auditions. They won’t be able to see my face for those.”

“So you’re saying you got through today because of your face and not your voice?” Alex asks, eyebrows raised. 

Luke shrugs, digging through the pile of laundry near the hallway for a clean shirt. “It’s a reality tv show, man. I think it helps.”

“Of course it _helps_ ,” Willie snorts. “That’s why you’re a bartender, dude. You don’t make a fortune in tips because of how you pour a beer.”

“Well,” Alex says, nudging Willie’s shoulder with his. “His arms are on display when he’s doing that.”

“You’re right,” Willie nods, looking back over to Luke again. “It probably _is_ because of how you pour a beer.”

Reggie grabs his _Target_ nametag from the coffee table and pins it to his red polo, pulling Luke into a quick hug. “Proud of you, dude. And hey, maybe you’ll go solo after this and we’ll get to have one of those documentaries made about us and how you betrayed us!”

“Not a chance,” Luke answers immediately, shoving Reggie lightly in the chest. “You know it’s me and you guys 'til the end.”

“And then some,” Alex replies, squeezing Luke’s shoulder. “We know. Go to work. Your peasant job awaits you.”

Reggie grabs the keys to the car all four of them share and makes a grand gesture of bowing for Luke as they head out the door together. “Your chariot awaits, rockstar.”

Luke rolls his eyes. He can hear Alex and Willie laughing behind them. “Like you aren’t one, too, Peters. Let’s go.”

* * *

**_five months later_ **

* * *

When Julie shows up for the main auditions, it’s with her dad, her brother, and Flynn in tow. The atmosphere is different this time, she notices - there’s still an energy in the air that has Julie’s knee bouncing as she waits, but the noise level has lessened _considerably._

Or maybe time’s allowed her fractured heart to heal more than she realized.

Julie catches her dad watching her again and laughs. “What?”

He shrugs. “I just - I can tell you’re ready. _Really_ ready. You seem more comfortable than last time.”

“Of course she is,” Flynn teases, throwing her arm around Julie’s shoulders. “I’m here this time, Mr. Molina.”

Julie leans into Flynn’s side, laughing as Carlos joins in on the teasing and her dad tries to defend himself. She lets her head rest on Flynn’s shoulder and closes her eyes, smiling as she listens to Flynn explain _why_ her presence is so valuable.

And then she hears his voice again.

“C’mon, boys.”

Julie’s eyes open and she sits up, squinting as she searches the room. When she sees him again, he’s wearing the same damn jacket and there’s a guitar pick in his teeth, but he’s no longer alone. She watches him talk with the three guys surrounding him, trying to figure out what they’re saying, and yelps when she feels Flynn’s elbow in her side. 

“Ow! What?”

Flynn rolls her eyes. “You’re staring.”

“I am _not.”_

“You literally didn’t even look at me when you said that. You’re still staring.”

Julie rolls her eyes this time, turning to face Flynn. “It’s Luke.”

“Who?”

“Stairwell guy.”

Flynn’s eyes widen and she _grins_ , craning her neck to try and see the boys herself. “ _Now_ I get it. Ooh, the one in the jacket? He’s cute, Jules.”

Julie wrinkles her nose. “He’s okay.”

“Who’s cute?” Carlos asks. 

“You, _hermanito_ ,” Julie replies easily, pinching Carlos’ nose. 

He bats his hands at her. “I’m taller than you now. Quit it.”

//

Somehow, whether by dumb luck or the work of the universe at large — 

(Luke says universe, Alex and Willie say dumb luck, Reggie says both) 

— Luke is in the audience when Julie Molina auditions. 

He recognizes her immediately despite the distance between his seat and the stage. As she makes her way to the center of the platform, he sits straighter in his seat, eager to see if her voice matches the tone he’d heard so clearly in his mind months ago.

(He still hears it sometimes.) 

The overhead lights dim and he tilts his head, waiting for the sound of an acoustic guitar to fill the room.

But she takes a seat behind a keyboard instead, adjusting the microphone before she begins to play. Somber chords fill the space around them, the lights coming up behind her to illuminate the stage. She leans forward and breathes in, her eyes closed, and begins to sing.

_These four lonely walls have changed the way I feel_ _  
_ _The way I feel_ _  
_ _I’m standing still_

 _And nothin’ else matters now_ _  
_ _You’re not here_ _  
_ _So where are you?_ _  
_ _I’ve been callin’ you_ _  
_ _I’m missin’ you_

Distantly, Luke hears Willie whisper that it’s a Beyoncé song. He doesn’t recognize it, but knows it wouldn’t matter if he did, anyway. 

He’s never heard a voice like hers before. The resonance in her chest voice, the strength in her mix. The rasp as she continues up into the prechorus, the _ache_ as she loses herself in the lyrics.

Each time a chair turns, the crowd cheers. Luke panics for a moment that he’ll lose the sound of her voice in the noise, but the clarity of her tone pierces through the uproar easily. 

_Memories turn to dust_ _  
_ _Please don’t bury us_ _  
_ _I’ve got you, I’ve got you_

It isn’t until Caleb Covington turns his chair toward the end of her performance that Luke realizes he hasn’t breathed since she started singing. He forces himself to inhale, exhaling slowly as she sings the last run of the chorus. There’s an electric guitar accompanying her now, a delicate harmony that perfectly compliments the full strength of her voice, and Luke’s fingers itch with the desire to play the riff himself.

Her voice soars over the keys, over the guitar, over the _room_. It’s absolutely _nothing_ like the voice he’d imagined for her in his head.

(There’s no way he could’ve created something so captivating by himself.)

_Ain’t runnin’ from myself no more_ _  
_ _I’m ready to face it all_ _  
_ _If I lose myself, I lose it all_

Julie lets the final chord hang in the air, her hands curved over the keys, and then the crowd erupts in applause. The smile she gives in response is more humble than it has any right to be for the amount of talent she possesses. 

Luke jumps to his feet, glancing over to Alex next to him as he claps. “Wow,” he breathes. 

Alex just nods, grinning. “Yeah.”

//

When Julie heads offstage, Carlos is the first to wrap her in a hug. She laughs as he lifts her off the ground, feeling lightheaded after the rush of performing again.

“That was beautiful,” Flynn says, pulling her into a hug when Carlos sets her down again. “Seriously, Jules. Perfect. You deserved every one of those chairs.”

Ray nods, his eyes wet and his voice thick when he agrees, “Absolutely. You sounded so incredible, Julie. Just like…”

His voice gives out, so he offers her a sad smile instead. Julie nods, her vision blurring as she rasps, “Yeah. I heard her with me, Dad. She was there.”

“I know she was,” Ray rasps, smiling. “I felt her.”

Flynn huffs, putting one hand on Julie’s shoulder and the other on Ray’s. “You two have to stop this. I don’t want to start crying _again._ ”

“Dude, you’re on _Caleb’s_ team. He’s _always_ the pickiest judge,” Carlos says, giddy with pride. “And you’re on his team. That’s so _cool!”_

Julie lets out a laugh, holding Carlos’ arm by the elbow as they head back to the holding rooms. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet. None of this feels real.”

“Oh, it’s real, sweetheart,” Flynn assures her. “You _did that._ And it was amazing.”

Ray hums. “Yes, it was.”

“Thanks, papa,” Julie replies, laughing when he pulls her into his side as they walk. “Promise me you won’t be on the phone the _entire_ drive home, yeah?”

“I won’t be,” Ray assures her. “Because your brother will be in the car! I’ll make him hold the phone.”

Flynn claps her hands together, shooting Ray a thumbs up. “Perfect. She can’t tell you to stop bragging about her when she’s not in the car.”

“Exactly.”

Laughing, Julie sighs, “I regret telling you Flynn and I are going to stay for the rest of the auditions today. You totally planned this.”

Carlos lets out an affronted gasp. “You think Dad and I _planned_ a very specific itinerary for the drive home, sorted by alphabet of who we call first, to tell them how amazing you are? How dare you.”

“Hurry, Carlos,” Ray says, speaking in a stage whisper. “If we run fast, she can’t catch us in those heels. Call the first number!”

Carlos pulls out his phone and immediately starts dialing, taking off at a run with Ray down the hallway. Julie’s so focused on yelling at them both that when she rounds the corner with Flynn, she ends up running facefirst into a light pink hoodie.

“Oh, gosh! Sorry!” Pink Hoodie offers, his hands steadying her arms. “It’s my friend’s fault, he - oh, wait, hey, you’re Julie! We just saw your audition! Your voice is _incredible_.”

Julie smiles, laughing softly. “Thank you. That’s…”

She trails off when she realizes one of the guys in the group is Luke. He’s already watching her, the smile on his lips an exact replica of the grin she hasn’t been able to forget.

_C’mon, Julie._

“Hey,” he greets, waving a little before shoving both hands into the pockets of his jacket. “You changed your song.”

Julie squints a little, smiling. “I didn’t _change_ it. I told you I had options.”

“You picked the right one. Hell of a voice, Molina.”

“Thanks,” Julie offers. “Um. What about you? Have you auditioned yet?”

Luke shakes his head. “Nah, I go this afternoon. We just came early to catch some of the performances. _Really_ glad we caught yours.”

Nodding, Julie crosses her arms. She tries to ignore the warmth in her chest from his praise, but figures the pleased grin on her lips completely gives her away.

Judging by the way Flynn clears her throat, it absolutely does. “You ready, Jules?”

“Uh, yeah. Anyway. We were just heading to the auditorium to see some of the auditions,” Julie says, waving. “Good luck.”

Julie goes to step around the guys, but Luke takes a step forward, the grin on his lips decidedly cockier now. “So you’re gonna get to see me perform, too?”

“Mm, I _might_ watch yours,” Julie shrugs. “We’ll have to see if I can stomach an _entire_ performance from a douchey LA musician.”

Pink Hoodie grins, pointing at Julie and looking at Luke. “Oh, I like her.”

“Me, too,” Luke replies, his eyes still on Julie.

“Subtle,” Leather Jacket mutters.

Surfer Guy immediately mutters back, “As a gunshot.”

Julie watches their interactions and laughs softly, taking Flynn’s hand in hers. “We’d better go and grab seats before the next audition starts. Good luck, Luke.”

When they’re a safe distance away, Julie comments, “See? Cocky.”

“Oh, totally,” Flynn replies, squeezing her hand. “But he’s cute and he’s got heart eyes for you after knowing you a grand total of five minutes. I’m still rooting for you two.”

Julie snorts. “You’re so _weird_.”

//

“Dude, by the way? You have _got_ to stop flirting in front of the rest of us,” Alex pleads that afternoon, clapping a hand over the back of Luke’s shoulder as they wait with him on the side of the stage. “It’s horrific to watch.”

“Like a car crash where you can’t look away,” Willie agrees.

Alex sighs happily, taking his hand off Luke’s shoulder and tangling it with Willie’s hand instead. “You get me.”

Luke opens his mouth to argue, but stops when he sees the look on Reggie’s face. Rolling his eyes, he mutters, “I can’t help it! She’s cute.”

“Oh, she’s a star,” Reggie agrees. “And _way_ outta your league.”

Again, Luke goes to argue, but gets the same look from all three of the guys. After a moment, he nods and breathes out a sigh. “Yeah, alright. Fine. But you guys are the worst hype squad ever.”

“We made you a _poster_ , you ungrateful runt,” Alex says.

Luke laughs, shaking his head. “You wrote ‘ _go, luke, go’_ on a piece of notebook paper.”

“That counts!” Reggie insists. “I did bubble letters for it and everything.”

Luke’s still laughing, but even he can hear the uneven cadence of it. His fingers drum lightly against the strap of the guitar over his chest, and he raises a brow at the knowing smile Alex is giving him.

“What?”

“Dude, you’re nervous.”

“I - I don’t wanna let you guys down,” Luke admits, swallowing. “This isn’t for me, y’know? It’s for you guys. And…”

Reggie stops him with a hand on his chest. “Buddy. Shut up. You’re gonna kick ass and we’re gonna be here cheering you on. _With_ our handmade poster.”

“I’ll wipe away their proud parent tears when you perform,” Willie assures him. “I promise.”

Luke laughs again, the rhythm smoother this time. “Thanks, man. There’s gonna be a lot of them. They’re disgustingly sappy.”

“You’re grounded,” Alex says, pointing at him.

“Luke, we’re ready,” the stagehand says, directing him with a wave toward the stage. “Good luck.”

With a grin, Luke pulls his electric guitar in front of him and takes a couple small steps backwards toward the stage entrance. “See you boys after.”

He turns and walks through the doors toward the stage, laughing when he hears Alex’s yell of, “Kill it, Patts.”

//

Julie and Flynn sit through twelve auditions before Luke takes the stage.

She hates herself for it, and she’ll never admit it to anyone — 

~~she’ll tell Flynn later~~

— but she recognizes Luke by the way he’s holding his guitar.

He makes his way to the center of the platform, an electric guitar held easily against his chest. Julie knows it’s him by the pace of his steps, the way his hands are curled over the neck and the body of the instrument like it’s simply a part of him. She remembers the easy way his fingers curled over the frets of his acoustic in the stairwell before. Remembers the sound of the chord hanging between them, beautifully dissonant against the warmth of his voice.

Judging by the electric in his hands and the muscle tee he’s wearing, this isn’t going to be anything like the stairwell.

And when the lights come up and Luke immediately launches into the opening guitar lick, it isn’t an audition. Julie’s seen several of those so far.

This is a _concert_.

_If me and you are livin’ in the same place_ _  
_ _Why do we feel alone?_ _  
_ _Feel alone?_

 _A house that’s full of everything we wanted_ _  
_ _But it’s an empty home_ _  
_ _Empty home_

“5SOS?” she hears Flynn ask next to her, and Julie just nods.

She can’t look away from the stage. Luke’s eyes close as he breezes through the next part of the verse, that ever-present smirk on his lips when he opens his eyes again at the first sound of the crowd cheering for a turning chair. His left leg kicks up as he bounces back from the microphone and then towards it again, only glancing down at the frets of his guitar for a moment before he picks out the broken chords for the chorus easily.

_And all the things that we dream about_ _  
_ _They don’t mean what they did before_ _  
_ _I just wanna get back to us_ _  
_ _Cause we used to have more_

Douchey LA musician or not, he’s made for this.

His entire body _vibrates_ with it - the thrum of the beat as the drums kick back in, the energy of the crowd as yet another chair turns. He can’t stop smiling as he sings, joy radiating off of him in waves as his voice breaks perfectly over the last phrase of the chorus.

_Why does it feel like we’re missin’ out?_ _  
_ _Like I’m standin’ behind the door_  
_I just wanna get back to us_ _  
Cause we used to have more_

By the time he makes it to the outro of the song, he’s completely abandoned the microphone in favor of jamming along with the house band in the back. When they reach the end, he lets out a shout and bounces on his toes for a moment, grinning so widely it has to hurt.

Julie realizes she’s grinning, too.

“Caleb turned,” Flynn points out, nudging her arm with an elbow. “You guys might be on the same team.”

“He’s too much of a rocker,” Julie replies, shaking her head. “He won’t pick Caleb.”

He picks Caleb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song referenced in the stairwell: [heather](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsWMV643vrg&ab_channel=gulrose) \- originally by conan gray, but i'm linking to madison reyes' cover because she's a gem
> 
> julie's audition song: [runnin' (lose it all)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtcT_MIsE-E&ab_channel=SofiaKarlberg) \- originally by naughty boy ft. beyonce & arrow benjamin, but the cover linked is the vibe i'm feeling for julie's rendition. the strings playing during the chorus would be the electric guitar during her audition.
> 
> luke's audition song: [more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrkbwYf9IM0&ab_channel=Nightly) by 5 seconds of summer


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember when i said this would be a two-parter? i lied. i lied real hard. 
> 
> i regret nothing. <3

Two weeks before rehearsals for knockouts begin, Caleb invites the members of his team to one of the larger jazz clubs he owns. It’s a tradition for him, Julie knows - she’s read countless interviews from past contestants about the night of dinner and dancing that Caleb uses to help everyone become acquainted. 

(“You’ll all be competing against one another, yes,” he says that night, smiling, “but tonight’s about celebrating music and celebrating the accomplishment of making it this far. Enjoy it!”)

They’re given instructions to show up in cocktail attire and wear their dancing shoes. Julie spends longer than she’d like to admit trying on dresses. The process would be significantly faster, Julie thinks, if Flynn wasn’t approving every single one. 

“You aren’t helping me narrow my options,” Julie huffs. 

Flynn just shrugs. “You look beautiful in every dress you’ve tried on. Your options are endless, Jules.”

Julie rolls her eyes, but the smile on her lips gives away how she _actually_ feels. “Please be helpful. Which one’s your favorite?”

“Okay, if I was forced to only pick one…”

“I _am_ forcing you.”

“... then the lacy yellow one. You can wear your hair up and we can go get some strappy, nude heels to go with it.”

Julie tilts her head as she considers it, smiling slowly. “Jewelry?”

“Just studs and a bracelet. Minimal makeup look. You’ll be the prettiest one there, guaranteed.”

Running her fingers over the material of the dress, Julie pictures it in her head and the smile on her lips grows wider. She grabs the hanger and drapes the dress over her arm, grabbing her purse and opening the fitting room door. 

“You’re gonna do my makeup, right?” Julie asks. 

Flynn rolls her eyes, standing from the bench and following Julie out of the room. “Girl, of _course_ I’m doing your makeup.”

//

“Boys, what’s cocktail party attire?”

Alex looks up from his book where he’s seated on the couch in their living room, eyebrows drawing together. “What?”

“I got an email from Caleb,” Luke replies, sitting on the couch and ignoring Alex’s cries of protest when he intentionally sits on his feet. “Everybody on his team gets to go to his club this Friday, but we’re supposed to wear cocktail party attire. I don’t know what that is.”

Alex closes his book and sets it on the coffee table, yanking his feet out from underneath Luke’s ass. He lets out a long-suffering sigh and then yells, “Reg!”

Luke holds both hands out and shoots Alex a look, starting to ask what the exasperation is for (this time), but Reggie sleepily walks into the living room and asks first.

“What’d he do?”

“I’m offended that you immediately think I did something.”

Alex just says, very slowly, “Luke has to wear cocktail party attire to this event on Friday night at Caleb’s club.”

Reggie makes the same face as Alex. “Oh, no. He doesn’t own a single thing that could count as cocktail party attire. He cuts all his shirts up and rips his jeans.”

“Boys,” Luke cuts in. “I’m right here.”

“We’re gonna have to go shopping,” Alex sighs. “Who has the emergency credit card?”

Reggie pulls out his phone, thumbs flying over the screen as he answers, “Willie. He gets off work in thirty. We can take the car when he gets back. You think Goodwill would have some suit jackets?”

“I’ve got a jacket he can wear. It should fit him. But he needs slacks - or at the very least, jeans _without_ holes, and we’ve gotta get a dress shirt,” Alex says. 

Luke’s nose wrinkles. “Cocktail party attire sounds constricting.”

Alex rolls his eyes. “Yeah, you don’t wanna get kicked from this dude’s team because you show up to his club in a muscle tee and those shorts you keep trying to pass off as jeans.”

“Dude, they _are_ jeans.”

From across the room, Reggie chimes in, “The holes in the knees are so big on that pair that you might as well just cut them in half, dude. They’re shorts.”

Luke rolls his eyes, flopping back against the couch. “Fine. Let’s go shopping. I hate this already.”

“Hey, but this means you’ll get to see _Julie_ in cocktail party attire,” Reggie teases, sharing a grin with Alex. “That’s worth it, right?”

Luke tries to be aloof. “Who?”

“Oh, shut up,” Alex laughs. “You know damn well who. Bet she wears something gorgeous and takes your breath away, you big sap.”

(Luke will never tell him, but Alex ends up being absolutely right.)

//

When Julie arrives at Caleb’s club, giving her name at the door and being told ‘ _you’re on the list, Miss Molina’_ is the most surreal feeling. She says as much when she texts her father from inside, and his response is immediate:

_Get used to it, mija. You’re going places. You’ll be on every list soon._

She’s smiling at her phone as she texts back a heart and then slides it back into her clutch, looking up just in time before she runs right into - 

“Luke.”

“Julie,” he says easily, grinning. “Hey. You - wow. You look…”

The grin on his lips fades into something softer, more awed. _Worshipful_ , almost, as his eyes slowly slide down from her face to her feet and then back up. Julie feels her cheeks flush under the intensity of his stare, her chest tightening with something she absolutely shouldn’t feel yet for this boy she barely knows.

His voice is certainly quieter, almost too quiet to be heard over the amount of noise coming from inside the club, when he says, “You look beautiful, Julie.”

She swallows past the sudden lump in her throat, twisting the bracelet on her wrist nervously. His eyes drop to her hands, watching her movements, and it gives her a moment to breathe without the weight of his eyes meeting hers.

“Thanks,” she replies, smiling when his eyes lift to meet hers again at the sound of her voice. “You clean up pretty well, too. Figured you’d show up with a tie over a sleeveless shirt or something.”

Luke smirks, gesturing to the dark wash jeans, deep purple button-down, and black dress jacket he’s wearing. “Full disclosure, my bandmates helped me and this jacket isn’t mine. But, uh, sounds like you’re saying you wondered what I was gonna wear to this, Jules. That the case?”

The nickname makes her heart skip a beat. She rolls her eyes and laughs, hoping she doesn’t sound as breathless as she feels. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Don’t have to,” he says, offering his arm to her. “You’re doing it for me.”

She laughs again, eyes locking on his for a moment before she takes his arm, curling her fingers gently around his elbow. As they head down the stairs into the club, the sound of the music from the main room growing louder, Julie asks, “You said bandmates?”

“Yeah,” he answers, nodding. “Bandmates, roommates. More like brothers, honestly.”

“Aren’t they pissed at you for going the solo route?”

Luke’s free hand reaches up to brush his hair back from his face as he sheepishly admits, “Uh, I’m not really going solo. We’re just - having a hard time gaining any traction, so.”

“Ah,” Julie surmises. “You’re just hoping to get some fans from the show for your band.”

He hums, glancing over at her as they walk. “It’s shitty, isn’t it?”

Julie shrugs. “I mean, it’s not like you’re the first to do it.”

“That isn’t a ‘no,’ Julie,” he points out.

“Well, what happens if you win the whole show?”

He scoffs. “Julie, I’m not winning the whole show.”

“You could.”

Luke’s answer is immediate. “Not with you on it. No way in hell I’m beating Julie Molina, that’s for damn sure.”

They’re paused at the bottom of the stairs now, other guests passing by them to head to the dance floor, and Julie just watches Luke as he watches her. 

He smiles. “What?”

“How do you do that?”

At the raise of his eyebrows, she presses, “How do you say something that sounds like it should just be a _line_ and - “

She trails off, belatedly realizing both her hands are still curled over his elbow. Turning to face her completely, he rolls his arm so that her hands slowly slide from his elbow to encircle his wrist instead. He tilts his head as he considers the words she isn’t speaking aloud. 

“And, what? Mean it?”

Julie can feel her world tipping, shifting onto an axis that’s solely balanced on the fierceness of Luke’s gaze on her. 

She clears her throat. Mentally pushes her world back to center. 

Squeezing his wrist, she moves her hands back to his elbow and teases, “Didn’t think LA rockers could be sincere.”

His grin returns. The weight on her chest recedes. 

“We have to be _sometimes_ , Julie,” he replies, voice equally light as he guides her toward the booths surrounding the dance floor. “Otherwise the bartenders don’t give us free drinks after the show.”

She feels the warmth of his hand against the small of her back as she slides into one of the empty booths marked off for them, ignoring the thrill she feels when he slides in next to her without hesitation. “I’m no bartender, Luke. You’re not getting a drink outta me.”

He winks, shrugging. “Call it a sincerity freebie, then.”

//

It doesn’t take long for the club to fill to capacity. Caleb makes his rounds as people filter in, playing the role of gracious host with ease. Luke spends most of the evening with his eyes on the house band, foot bouncing in time with the music even when he’s chatting with the other contestants that join their table.

He thinks he hears the names Carrie and Nick given for the two that sit with them, but truthfully? He only listens in on the conversation when Julie’s speaking.

Which is why, after they’ve finished dinner (and two bottles of wine between the four of them), he doesn’t miss her question of, “You wanna dance?”

“Dance?” he echoes, eyebrows rising. “I’m - not much of a dancer, Jules.”

She just smiles, eyes sparkling. “I’ve seen you onstage, y’know. You have rhythm.”

“Doesn’t mean I can _dance_ ,” he argues, smiling right back. “My drummer can dance. I cannot.”

“Noted,” Julie says, scooting toward the edge of the seat. She stands and turns to face him, holding her hand out expectantly. “But I’m still gonna need you to prove it.”

His eyes don’t leave hers as he takes her hand. “You want me to _prove to you_ that I can’t dance? That’s dangerous for your toes.”

“I’ll survive,” she shrugs, threading her fingers through his and tugging him to the dance floor. “It’s a slow song now, anyway. We’ll warm you up to the _real_ dancing.”

When she turns to him on the dance floor, easily looping her arms around his neck, Luke’s first instinct is to look down at his feet as they sway together. But Julie captures his attention so completely that he can’t look anywhere else. 

His hands gently move from her ribs down to rest over her hips, fingers catching on the lace of her dress, and he can feel the way she relaxes into his touch. It makes the corner of his mouth just barely lift in a grin, his hands moving instead to splay over the expanse of her back.

They dance long enough that the song changes twice, but the rhythm never really does. He keeps moving with her, meeting each step she takes with ease. It feels like he knows where she’s going before it happens, like he could be ready to catch her before she even had the chance to fall, and it terrifies him a bit.

“See? Not so bad, rockstar,” Julie says, shrugging.

Luke swallows, able to feel the wine-induced flush on his cheeks creeping down the length of his throat as he pulls himself from his thoughts and focuses instead on the present. “Just following you, Molina.”

Her head tilts as she considers his words, the lights of the club dancing over her skin. When she looks down, Luke resists the urge to tip her chin up with his fingers, instead holding her closer as she leans in and asks, “You wanna go for a walk? Get some air?”

When she pulls back and meets his eyes, Luke grins. “Find somewhere quieter?”

Julie nods, smiling. “To get my thoughts together.”

It’s been months since their first meeting, but Luke remembers their initial interaction all too well. It’s both a little unnerving and overwhelming that it seems like Julie does, too.

She takes his arm again as they head up the stairs and out of the club, walking slowly down the street until the noise of the boulevard finally drifts away and becomes nothing more than an echo. He feels her shiver slightly against his side and immediately pulls his jacket off, draping it around her shoulders and laughing as she puts her arms in and holds them both up, hands dwarfed by the sleeves.

“Here,” he says, stopping and turning to face her. He gently rolls the sleeves of the jacket up at the wrists until her hands are visible again, glancing up and realizing she’s already watching him. He opens his mouth to say something, _anything_ that will diffuse the tension he feels building between them, but Julie beats him to it.

“You know, my mom used to say that all musicians shared this - kindred spirit,” she says gently, heels clicking lightly against the asphalt as they begin to walk again. “This identical passion, even if the type of music they were making was different. She always said she could sense a real musician just by their energy. The way she described it, I remember being so - _jealous_. I wanted to be that connected to music, you know? I wanted to feel the same things she felt. And then she passed away, and…”

Their steps become slower, legs moving in sync until they both stop. It’s still quiet between them, Julie’s eyes on the ground, and curiosity finally wins out. Luke turns to her and gently asks, “And what, Julie?”

“And then I met you,” she answers, facing him. “And I felt like I finally understood her. When we met in that stairwell, I’d barely sung since she’d died. But you were going to help me, and I didn’t even think twice about it. I just - I wanted to sing. I wanted to put music into the world. And I felt that same passion from you. And you hadn’t even sung a _note,_ Luke.”

Luke’s breath catches. He tries to smile, falters, and shakes his head. He brushes his hair back from his face, one hand settling around the back of his neck. “I - Christ, Julie, I don’t really know what to do with that.”

“Am I wrong?” she asks, stepping closer to him. “Is it one-sided?”

Somehow, he knows she isn’t just talking about the music. But maybe she is, and maybe that’s all this is, and he’s taking so long to reply that she starts to move away from him.

His fingers reach out to curl over her wrist gently to stop her. To keep her close. “It’s not one-sided.”

Julie hums, turning her wrist in his grip. “And that’s not just the wine talking?”

“Is it the wine for you?”

She shakes her head. Luke does the same. 

“Isn’t for me, either, Julie.”

He feels her fingers dance lightly over his palm. “We should head back to the club. Caleb hands out knockout pairing assignments at the end of the night.”

“Yeah,” he answers, but he doesn’t move. Waits a moment and then tests the waters, hesitantly threads their fingers together. When she squeezes his hand, he thumbs over her skin and turns them toward the club again.

When they’re nearly to the club entrance, Julie offers, “Even if you’re not intending to go solo after this, I hope you do well, Luke. You deserve it. You just - you have a gift. The world should get to see that.”

His heart thuds in a way that’s all too familiar, the way it does when the boys remind him how important his music is despite the indifference from his parents. But this time the words aren’t coming from the guys, they’re coming from the human wrecking ball next to him.

It’s humbling to be told he’s worthy enough by the literal powerhouse that is Julie Molina.

“You deserve it, too,” he says fervently, squeezing her hand hard. “I’ve known it since the stairwell. The rest of the world’s gonna know it soon enough.”

When they make it back to the club, Caleb’s there to greet them at the bottom of the stairs. “Ah, perfect!” he greets, holding his arms out to them both. “My last knockout pairing. How fitting that you two have already started to get to know each other.”

“We’re paired?” Julie asks, glancing to Luke and then back to Caleb.

Caleb nods. “You are. I think your opposing styles will work well together. I’m excited to see what you do with the song. All the information will be in the email, darlings. See you bright and early next week!”

When he’s gone, Luke breathes out a laugh and raises his eyebrows. “Damn.”

“What?” Julie asks.

“Paired with Julie Molina,” he says, shrugging. “Guess I oughta tell the guys I’ll only be on the show another couple weeks.”

Julie rolls her eyes, swatting at him with one of the now-unrolled sleeves of the jacket she’s still wearing. “Believe in yourself, Patterson. It’ll get you everywhere.”

She drags him to the dance floor again. Luke spends the rest of the night dancing with her, talking with her.

~~Falling for her.~~

//

Things finally start to wind down around 3AM. The ache in Julie’s feet and the sweat she can feel dried on her skin beneath her dress has her eager to get home and into the comfiest clothes she owns. She’s outside on the sidewalk, waiting for her Uber, when she realizes she’s still wearing Luke’s jacket and she hurriedly slips it off.

She turns to head back into the club and realizes Luke is on his way out. Smiling, she hands over the jacket and thanks him. “Glad I ran into you. Wouldn’t want your roommate to think you gave his clothes away.”

“He’d probably kill me, yeah,” Luke laughs, pulling the jacket back on. “You need a ride or anything?”

“Oh, I ordered an Uber already. Thanks, though.”

Luke blows out a breath. “Good, ‘cause I actually gotta get home so Alex can take the car. He’d kick my ass if I was late.”

Laughing softly, Julie feels her phone buzz and glances over to the car approaching, squinting at the logo in the windshield. “Um. That’s me, I think. I’ll - see you in a couple weeks?”

“Yeah,” Luke says, nodding. Julie turns to go, but pauses when she hears him continue, “Hey, did you open your email yet?”

“No,” Julie replies, Luke walking with her as she makes her way to the car. “You?”

Luke shakes his head. “No. We could - open it now?”

Julie’s already reaching for her phone, the grin on her lips mirrored by Luke’s own as they open the email from Caleb together and both scroll down to Caleb’s song selection for them.

“Physical,” Luke says aloud, eyebrows raised. “By - Julie, I don’t know how to pronounce this name.”

Julie snorts. “Dua Lipa. It’s a good song.”

“Pop song?” Luke asks.

Julie tilts her head, not missing the fond grin Luke gives her when she does. “Yeah, but - it’s got a steady rhythm. Good for a rocker. The vocals are killer. We can definitely make it work for us.”

She realizes about a beat after Luke does that she mentioned making it work for the _two_ of them. Not just for him. Not just for her.

Luke clears his throat, bending down and waving at the driver through the windshield. After he’s made sure it’s Julie’s ride, he opens the passenger door for her and leans against it. “You’d better get home. I’ll, uh. I could text you about it after I listen?”

“You don’t have to ask me for my number, Luke,” Julie teases. “It’s in the email.”

“I totally knew that,” Luke insists, but the way he immediately scrolls through the email again with his free hand says otherwise.

Laughing, Julie steps around Luke, getting into the car and smiling up at him through the open window after he’s closed the door behind her. He crouches down with both hands on the door, smiling at her. “Thanks for the dance.”

“Thanks for not stepping on my toes.”

“You got it, boss,” Luke grins.

Julie waves as the driver pulls away, relaxing in the seat. She keeps her eyes on Luke in the sideview mirror as they drive, only looking away when she feels her phone buzzing in her purse.

_from: new_ _  
_ _gotta ask. you gonna save my number in your phone as ‘douchey LA musician?’_

Laughing softly to herself, Julie immediately sends a reply.

_to: rockstar_  
_i’ll never tell._

//

When he gets home around 4am, he tosses the jacket and car keys to Alex and thanks him around a yawn. “You’ve gotta do that floor move today, right?”

“Yeah,” Alex replies, pulling his hair back into a bun. “Fuck inventory and fuck floor moves, honestly. I’m so tired. Early mornings are the worst. And this? Smells like a girl’s perfume,” Alex says, eyebrows raised as he holds the jacket out with two fingers.

Luke shrugs.

“Is it Julie’s perfume?”

Luke grins. Shrugs again.

“God, there’s gonna be a _Voice_ wedding episode before Willie and I get married. You asshole.”

Luke collapses onto the couch, kicking at Alex’s hands when he feels his shoes being tugged off. “She’d never marry me, dude, don’t worry. Outta my league.”

“You’re right about that,” Alex says, dropping Luke’s shoes to the floor and pulling a blanket over him. “You sure you wanna crash here and not in your bed?”

“Too far.”

Alex snorts. “Yeah, alright. Sweet dreams, Patts. Glad you got to see your pretty girlfriend.”

“She was _so_ pretty, Alex. And she’s gonna be m’knockout partner. She’s gonna kick my ass.”

His eyes are closed, but he still hears the grin in Alex’s voice when he asks, “You’re so excited about that, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Luke yawns. “Getting to sing with _Julie_. How lucky am I?”

“Dude, go to sleep. I’ll help you plan your wedding when we’re both more awake, okay?”

“‘Kay,” Luke answers, rolling onto his side. “Love you, buddy. Have fun at work.”

He grins at Alex’s immediate reply of _‘I won’t!’_ on his way out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're curious, [this](https://www.lulus.com/products/dream-life-yellow-lace-bodycon-dress/714152.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%20%5BPLA%5D%20Dresses%20-%20%7BN%7D&utm_term=JMD8357%20YELLOW%2FNUDE5&utm_content=114721735912_483788621736&s_kwcid=AL%217824%213%21483788621736%21%21%21g%211056061603901%21&gclid=CjwKCAiAkJKCBhAyEiwAKQBCkvt_0ZVirXEOwl_fR8SvqWmkfNeozpHCgkP6QsmIVbLgJ__3bueC5BoCOq4QAvD_BwE) is the inspiration for julie's cocktail party dress.


End file.
